What was lost
by reronettie
Summary: Franco as Drew Cain Struggles with his feelings for Elizabeth Webber-Baldwin after he learns she is in danger from an old enemy. *My first Multi-chapter Friz fic*
1. Chapter 1

Three months had passed since the man who called himself Drew Cain woke up in the wrong body. It was still a strange sensation. He was older, and his face was all wrong. Franco was in great shape, and he was a handsome guy, but he was leaner and less muscular. Drew missed his military-trained frame. He couldn't decide if he liked this face better scruffy or clean-shaven. He would never have considered a beard before. Somehow, he wanted to grow one now. Everything about this situation was confusing and wrong.

That first day in the hospital, he believed some militant group had staged this entire thing as a trick. How could anyone believe that they woke seven years in the future in a different person's body? He truly thought he was a POW. It was not possible to wake like this. He was certain the whole thing was psychological warfare. Of course, the enemy would choose a beautiful brunette like Elizabeth to be his fake wife. She was precisely the type of woman he found attractive. They must have studied him in great detail to pick a woman like her.

It hadn't taken long for him to get his first reality check. He'd seen Kim, and everything changed. Kim was the one that got away. She was the woman he had never been able to stop wanting. Now, there she was, flesh and blood, standing right in front of him. This was a second chance with the only woman he ever really loved. For years, he wondered what happened to her. He wanted to learn everything about the time they'd spent apart. He knew the moment he kissed her she was real. If she was genuine, then everything else they were telling him was too. At first, he had been blind to see anything except for her.

Then Elizabeth Webber-Baldwin gave him another reality check. He honestly thought she was mousy when he first met her. She seemed like the kind of woman that let people walk all over her. He never considered that she would fight for anything, but nothing would stop her from restoring Franco Baldwin. He quickly learned she had teeth. In many ways, she was more fearsome than any opponent he faced while in the military. She got him committed, and no matter what, she refused to give up on the man he had been before. Franco was someone she would fight for until the bitter end. Drew felt like some poor guy trapped in the middle.

They held a competency hearing, which was a hollow victory. The judge ruled against Elizabeth's making his medical decisions, but she mandated that he remain on an ankle monitor. He could not leave Port Charles, and he must stay in the care of Dr. Collins and Dr. Maddox for one year. If at that point, they determined he was mentally competent, he was free to go. If at any time, they believed he was delusional, he would be thrown right back into Shadybrook.

He had not wanted to stay in the same place as Elizabeth. He begged to be allowed to come back for monthly check-ins. The judge would not relent. He couldn't explain why, but Elizabeth's very presence threatened him. It was like something was inside of him trying to break free, and the thing got closer every time he was near Elizabeth Webber-Baldwin. He didn't want to face the fact that Franco's presence was very much still inside of him. When he was alone, he thought of the presence as a demon or an interloper, but he never called it Franco. He would never tell anyone it existed at all. Because if it did, he was a fantasy, and Franco was real. He could never accept that he was not a real person. The mind wanted Kim, but the body wished to seek Elizabeth out. He had to ignore the Demon's impulses.

Kim saw the truth. She started to realize some part of Franco was lurking under the surface. The guilt she felt about sleeping with her friend's husband and her desire to escape the town where she lost her son got the better of her. She left Port Charles without him. They promised to try to make their relationship work while she went out to find herself, but a week after she left, she called and ended things. She told him she was seeking mental health treatment at a facility just outside of New York City. Kim now realized she was grasping for a piece of her son. She didn't love this Drew Cain; she loved the memory of who he had been. He tried to convince her that their love was real, but she ended the call and now she wouldn't answer. He was all alone, and the body still wanted Elizabeth. The demon within him was trying more desperately than ever to claw its way out.

Monica pulled strings to get him a job as a security guard at the hospital. He understood it had been challenging to convince the board. With a record like Franco's, he couldn't work in a security position. Drew didn't qualify for much else. In the end, they recognized he was not Franco Baldwin. The job was not perfect, but it was something. He needed the money.

He was currently staying in Franco's old art studio. The rent was cheap, and he was technically the leaseholder. He couldn't stay in the studio for much longer. It made him feel strange. He understood that something horrible had tainted the place, but he could not remember what it was. The odd sense of darkness he experienced there was unsettling. The first night he slept in the studio, nightmares of a small child whimpering plagued him.

Working in the hospital was also a mistake. He was too close to the one person he wanted to avoid. He found himself continually watching Elizabeth while she worked. They kept putting him on ER shifts, and she was an ER nurse. She always looked at him too. Whenever he entered a room, she stared at him with a kind of veiled hope. He didn't know how to deal with her. His thoughts on the procedure were unchanged. Drew didn't want to be a vegetable, but Elizabeth's sadness was secretly killing him inside. He wanted to do something to make this mess better.

Gaining forgiveness from her would be nearly impossible, but he hoped he could someday. He treated her horribly and acted like her feelings for her husband were invalid. He didn't realize how much she loved Franco. Losing Kim made him recognize what they shared paled in comparison to how strongly Elizabeth loved the man she had married. He had never experienced that kind of love. He wondered if Franco loved Liz even half as much as she loved him.

One day, as he sat guarding the ER door, he sensed a familiar presence behind him. He turned and saw Elizabeth. For once, her eyes weren't on him. She was on the phone with someone, and she was sheet white. There was a pang of concern in his gut. Before he knew it, his feet carried him to her. He hated the demon at times like this.

"Are you OK?" As she hung up, she glared at him. He immediately regretted asking her at all.

"Why do you care?" She said she was much snappier than usual. "You haven't cared in months."

"I'll just go." He started to turn away.

"No." She said softer. "That call wasn't about you, for once. I miss my husband, and I am terrified. It would be nice if he were here to support me right now."

"Oh." He said, turning back toward her. The nagging deep inside him wanted to take her into his arms. He had to fight the pull with a strength he didn't know he possessed. "Did something happen? You were visibly upset."

"You should probably know anyway." She shrugged. "Jordan is going to be calling you shortly. Armed guards are on their way to our Brownstone."

"Is someone hurt? Are the boys OK?" He blurted. The panic in his body was complete. He hated being so conflicted. The sensation that someone was screaming below the surface was there again. The demon never spoke to him, but it was a strong, strange presence all the same.

"No. this is a precaution." He let out a deep breath he realized he was holding at the words. "Have you ever heard of Ryan Chamberlain?"

"Yes." Drew grimaced. "I looked up Franco's past, and I found out Ryan gave Franco this." He rubbed the thick scar on his abdomen.

"He almost killed you." She paused. "He escaped from Pentonville state penitentiary this morning. They found a hit list in his cell. My name is on it, so they are sending a protective detail to watch my house until they re-capture him."

"Am I on his list?" He asked, nervously.

"Franco is. He was the first name." She explained. Drew felt a pit in his stomach. Why did Franco have to be the subject of so much hatred? Why had he not ended up in the body of a regular guy, who never pissed off a Serial Killer?

"Are you and the boys going to be OK?" He softened his tone hoping she would see he was genuinely concerned. She stared at him, eyes narrowed.

"Why do you suddenly care so much?" She snapped. "You have been nothing but icy to me since the procedure erased my husband. Why the sudden compassion? If you want to help me, you know what you need to do."

"I would never wish danger on you or your boys." He said. "Just because I can't bring Franco back, doesn't mean I'm evil."

"No, but you are cruel." She cried. "I wish Franco was here."

"I would never intentionally hurt you!" He screamed the words coming from a place he didn't understand. Elizabeth stopped dead and turned to him. The look on her face was one of pure torture.

"Don't ever say that to me again." Her eyes were swimming with tears.

"What did I do?" He asked. He was angry, he had somehow made things worse.

"You broke your promise." She turned. "You are hurting me, and it feels intentional." At that, she ran off tears flooding her eyes. He wanted more than anything to go after her, but he remained fixed in place.

Ten minutes later, he received a call from commissioner Jordan Ashford. She told him exactly what Elizabeth had said and explained that he should consider allowing them to put a 24-hour protective detail on him. He declined. Coming face to face with an infamous serial killer could not be even half as hard as facing Elizabeth Webber-Baldwin every day. He realized every second he spent with her he would be fighting for his life.


	2. Chapter 2

When Elizabeth arrived home, she discovered that Jordan sent over four officers, one for each member of the family. Aiden was excited about bringing a police officer to school with him, but Jake and Cam understood the danger of why they needed one. The household was on edge. She tried to convince herself that Ryan would be after her and not her children, but she understood that would be giving herself false hope. He murdered Kiki, and he would do whatever was necessary to carry out his sadistic plans, even if it meant hurting innocent children. She was worried sick about Franco. He might not be in his right mind, but he still needed their help. Jordan was sure Franco was safe for now, Ryan would want to save his primary target for last.

There were seven names on the list. Ava Jerome, Kevin Collins, Laura Collins, Curtis Ashford, Jordan Ashford, Elizabeth Webber-Baldwin, and Franco Baldwin. All of them were approached, and aside from Franco and Ava, all of them accepted protection. The police were working tirelessly to find Ryan, but so far, they had come up short. She wished Franco would agree to the deal. If he did, he would be safe. She may not be happy about his choice to live as Drew, but she didn't want anything to happen to him.

After Jake and Aiden had gone upstairs to finish their homework, Elizabeth asked Cameron to stay with them. She had gotten a letter from the leaseholder on Franco's old studio stating that the lease would end this month. Liz knew he didn't want to keep the place after Harvey, so she wanted to double-check that everything was out of the space. She would probably need to repaint the walls, but she couldn't do that tonight.

Jordan only left two of the guards for overnight. Elizabeth hoped to sneak out around them. She wanted a private moment at the studio, but they stopped that, and she ended up taking a burly guard named Jose with her. She doubted Ryan was lurking in Franco's old studio, but she guessed it was better to be overcautious in this case.

When they arrived a few minutes later, she found a blue SUV parked in Franco's reserved spot. Elizabeth parked the car in the guest parking area and headed up to the studio. She remembered how amazing it was to be here working with Franco. She loved watching him paint more than anything. Losing this studio, seemed like another piece of Franco drifting away from her.

"Can you wait in the hallway?" Elizabeth wanted to do this alone. "I won't be in there long, and this is a private matter."

"I should at least scan the premises before letting you enter Mrs. Baldwin." The guard assured. She didn't like it, but at least he would leave her alone after he inspected the room.

"Fine." They walked up to the door together. Jose entered first, then she followed. Elizabeth stood in the living area. It was nothing like the creative space she remembered. All the art supplies and half-finished paintings were gone. Franco painted the walls in anticipation of getting rid of it, she was glad that was done at least. Jim Harvey died in this place, and Franco could not move forward from that.

Elizabeth noticed something a second later. There was a large green duffle bag open on the counter and a used takeout container on the table. Someone was staying here. She ran into the bedroom. The guard stood in front of the closed bathroom door, gun out. Inside they heard water running; someone was in the shower. Elizabeth instinctually guessed the man inside wasn't Ryan; it was what was left of her husband. She could not figure out why Drew would be staying here. She'd assumed he was still living with Kim. They had spoken so little she'd had no opportunity to ask.

"I think that's just my husband." She explained

"I won't leave without visual confirmation." The officer said sternly. Elizabeth let out a long breath. She agreed to the protective detail. They heard the water click off, and several seconds later, the door opened. The man calling himself Drew stood in the doorway, a towel wrapped around his waist. He was naked otherwise. Elizabeth couldn't help but notice he appeared even fitter than before. Drew must work out more regularly than Franco had. He was still gorgeous, and it took a moment for her to speak.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He barked. "And why is someone pointing a gun at me?"

"Sorry, I got this." She said, handing him the letter. "I'm not renewing the lease, and I wanted to make sure everything was cleaned out."

"And the gun?" He questioned, taking the letter. Jose put the gun down and was looking extremely uncomfortable.

"This is Jose. He's the officer assigned to me. There is a killer on the loose, remember." The glare he gave her was nothing short of disdainful. She was unnerved by it.

"Sorry," Jose said. "I'll wait out in the hallway." He almost ran away, not wanting to get in the middle of their marital dispute.

"Can I ask what you are doing here?" Elizabeth stared down at the floor, unable to look at him.

"I started staying here when Kim left town." Elizabeth's heart hammered in her chest at these words.

"Kim left?" She tried to sound mostly uninterested.

"A few weeks ago. Kim checked herself into an institution, and she ended things." He looked distraught, but Elizabeth struggled not to smile. Kim needed severe mental help. She was away from Franco's body, and that was all that matter to Elizabeth. "I didn't feel right staying in her apartment. When I learned Franco was renting this place, I decided to stay here until I figured out my next steps." Elizabeth glanced down at the monitor on his ankle.

"I can't believe you can stay here..." She trailed off, staring at him. "But then, I guess you don't remember."

"Something awful happened here, didn't it?" He asked. Her eyes widened. How could he possibly know what had happened? She glowered at him. She could barely focus on her thoughts with Franco's body still shirtless in front of her. Elizabeth had always admired her husband's frame, and she desperately missed him in her bed. No lover ever pleased her like Franco, and she wanted more than anything to be close to him again.

"Why don't you get dressed, and we can talk about it." She managed, averting her eyes from his chest. "I'll be in the living room."

"OK." He said. His eyes followed her as she left the room.

Elizabeth felt awful. How had she missed this? It seemed no one bothered to tell Drew about Jim Harvey. In her overwhelming desire to bring Franco back, she had skipped over one of the essential details of Franco and Drew's lives. "Drew" deserved to know this. Liz doubted it would change anything, but he still needed to understand his connection to Franco. She thought of the day in the hospital when Franco first told her about Harvey. Telling him the truth was not going to be easy. Franco didn't deserve to go through it all again.

When he finally reemerged, he was wearing a loose-fitting t-shirt and sweatpants. His hair was still wet. For one moment, he was Franco, but then he gave her a strained smile which reminded her yet again that Franco was still trapped in this man. She hated Drew, but she loved the man buried inside.

"You don't need to do this if you don't want to." He stated as he stepped out.

"I am going to tell you everything," Elizabeth spoke softly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Do you remember a man named Jim Harvey?"

"No," Drew said, but the look on his face was soft like it triggered something he couldn't quite reach.

"How about Uncle Jim?" The dawning on his face was unmistakable.

"Yeah, I was pretty little." He whispered. "What does Uncle Jim have to do with anything?"

"Do you remember Bobbie Frank?" She questioned. Her hands were shaking now.

"Of course I remember Bobbie. He was my brother, and I loved him. We were a happy family until he shoved me down a flight of stairs." Drew said defensively. Elizabeth was sick inside. She needed to deliver the truth just right, or Drew would be permanently biased against Franco.

"Uncle Jim used to bring Bobby toys, and you were jealous," Elizabeth continued. "Until one day, he showed up with a toy for you instead of Bobby, and rather than letting you take it, Bobby shoved you down a flight of stairs."

"Who told you about this?" Drew was shocked.

"Every time Jim Brought little Bobby a toy, he molested him." She said. Drew's face turned from defensiveness to shock. "I'm not sure how many times, but it was a lot. "

"The day Bobby shoved me down the stairs..." Drew started to say. His face slackened with surprise.

"He was trying to protect you from Jim." She finished. "Because he loved you, and he knew what Harvey was doing to you was wrong. He never meant to hurt you; he meant to save you."

"You can't possibly know this much about my life." He pleaded. "The other Drew wouldn't remember it." He was afraid of the next words.

"I know all of this because Bobby Frank grew up and changed his name." She watched the realization dawn on his face.

"To Franco Baldwin." He said before she could finish. "Franco was Bobby."

"Yes, and almost two years ago in this very room, the real Drew Cain shot Jim Harvey dead." She paused. "Harvey was afraid Franco would tell the truth, so he was choking the life out of him." There were tears in Drew's eyes. "He killed a man to save his brother." 'Drew' stared at the floor with remorse. He glanced at the precise spot where Jim's body had fallen. Elizabeth found it strange that he would know where to look. It must be some instinct. She knew it was wishful thinking to imagine Franco was still inside him somewhere.

"Thank you for telling me this." The fake Drew said after a long time. "I wish I'd known before now."

"You deserved the truth. I'm sorry it took so long." She gave him a strained smile.

"So, what do I do now?" There was a hint of panic in his voice.

"That's up to you," Elizabeth said. "I have to head home, but if you need anything, you can always call me."

"I can't stay here." He blurted out, looking around the space. "I have no idea where I'm going to go."

"You can always come home." She started. " It doesn't feel like your home, but we are happy to have you either way. No pressure."

"Is there a couch?" He looked like a scared, lost child with her husband's face.

"Come on." She said, and he begrudgingly followed her out the door.

-/-

Ryan Chamberlain stepped into the lobby of the dingy apartment building. He never liked how trashy the building was, but it was the kind of place where no one asked questions. He and his friend built a complete panic room, and no one had bothered to ask why. Keeping someone prisoner for more than a year was challenging. It was so much easier when you had a secure place to hold them. He had been paying the rent on the apartment for the last 11 months. He let the woman who was helping him stay in it free of charge. The free rent was in exchange for his friend caring for his special guest. He couldn't wait to reveal the truth to all his friends. He was much smarter than they ever gave him credit for. They would not see this coming. He'd done too good a job of setting it all up.

Ryan was disappointed he could not play this game with his new favorite adversary. He wished he could kill Shiloh a second time for taking away all of his fun. Franco had no memories of the man he once was. Ryan would never accept that. He wanted to play with the real Franco, and he was secretly hoping he might still get the chance.

Winning Ava back was his endgame. He would fight to win the heart of the woman he loved, no matter what. He wanted her more than any woman he had ever been with, and he knew deep down she loved him too. Ava was so important to Ryan, that he would stop killing people if she asked him. That had to mean it was true love. No other woman would ever make him consider it. Ava was Ryan's soulmate.

He knocked six times on the door, careful to use the pattern he and his assistant discussed months ago. It was important he stay hidden until they could get out of town. He was too recognizable in Port Charles. His secret weapon needed to remain secure until the time was right. He needed to move her to the new location he had chosen for them today. He stepped through the door as the kindly looking older woman answered. Her name was Annette O'Brien, and Ryan helped her escape from a mental hospital three years ago, during one of his attempts. She was only helping him care for his hostage as a way of saying thanks.

"Ms. O'Brien, how is the patient today?" She grinned at him. After a glance at the closed-circuit video cameras, he could see the young woman sitting idly in the room, as if slightly dazed.

"She tried to make another escape attempt last night. I cooked her a magnificent dinner, and she repaid me by trying to hit me over the head with her dinner plate. I gave her some medicine to knock her out. She slept until a few hours ago." She grimaced. "I just told her you were coming to visit. Instead of being excited, she spit at me. I can't believe she would do that after all the kindness I showed her."

"She was always an outspoken little brat, but some of my dearest friends care about her, so she is more valuable to me alive than dead." He turned to Ms. O'Brien. "I'm sorry she behaved so poorly. I believe you are treating her well."

"I have done my best, but she is ungrateful. All she does is blab about escaping. She seems to believe someone is coming to rescue her. It's sad; really, everyone thinks she is dead, we made sure of that. She shouldn't spit. Her mother must not have taught her any proper manners." Ryan clenched his fists tightly. No one spoke about the woman he loved in that manner, not even his most loyal helper.

"The time has come for me to put my plan into action, I've waited for all these months in prison, and I want my reward." He crept up behind her. "Unfortunately, my old friend, you can't be a part of this." He wrapped his hands around the older woman's neck and twisted. There was a look of shock on her face as she tried to struggle. She was no match for Ryan. After a few seconds of convulsing, her body fell to the floor. Her neck was broken at an odd angle. It was a shame to waste such loyal help, but nobody spoke ill of Ava, even if her brat had proven hard to tame. Ryan stepped beyond the control room and entered the lock code for the secure space. He smiled broadly at his prisoner.

"It isn't safe here anymore." She glared at him. "I need you with me, and I'm too recognizable here in Port Charles. I found another place for us to go."

"Please just kill me or let me go!" The girl begged. The beautiful blonde hair which reminded him of her mother's looked like a matted mess. If he hadn't already killed her, he would chastise Ms. O'Brien for not enforcing regular bathing habits.

"I would never do that, my little Sunflower. You are the ticket to getting your mother to come with me. I want us to be a family." he teased. "All three of us."

"I won't go with you!" The girl screamed. "Neither will my mother. I'm sure she hates you for killing me."

"She'll come around when she learns I tricked her. She wants you to be alive. The depth of that woman's love for you is amazing. Most of the time, I think you are a sniveling brat, but all I want is Ava's happiness." He smiled. "I will be the one who brought you back to her."

"My mother could never love you after what you did to me." The girl spoke. "You and that monster disguised as a grandmother are holding me hostage. I have been here for more than a year."

"I'm sorry it took a little longer than I planned. I got arrested unexpectedly." He grinned.

"Because of Franco." She laughed. "He got you thrown in jail."

"He should have just taken the blame like he was supposed to. Then everything would be perfect." Ryan looked down at the floor. "I wanted to get my revenge for his misstep. I wish he was still around; we could have had so much fun."

"What do you mean, Franco's gone?" She asked, alarm in her face.

"Franco was… reprogrammed." He struggled to find the right word. "You will understand when you see him again."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She snapped. "I will see Franco again on my own."

"You have no choice. I'm just going to give you something; I can't have you trying to escape before we arrive at our new destination." His smile was disturbing. She whimpered as he forced her to step over Anne's dead body. He stuck her with a syringe before forcing her to walk.

"You are a sick bastard." She spat. "Someone will figure out I'm here, especially now that you are out."

"You are dead, Lauren, and I did a masterful job of it, no one suspects you are alive," he said with a sadistic grin. "They buried your body."

"I don't see how I'm here, I'm living and breathing, and my name is Kiki." She cried as he shoved her. She turned and bit his shoulder hard moments before losing consciousness.

"Damn it, Lauren Katherine." Ryan said to the unconscious girl, "You've made me bleed."


End file.
